Malawi Airlines has acquired a 158-seat Boeing 737-800 which is expected to be used on the route between Malawi and South Africa.
The new aircraft replaces the 118-seat Boeing 737-700 which was being used on the same route.
Minister of Transport Jacob Hara said there had been an outcry from the travelling public failing to secure seats on the airline’s flights between Malawi and South Africa.
He noted that the high demand resulted in many travellers having to route through either Addis Ababa in Ethiopia or Nairobi in Kenya, to get to or from South Africa.
“This is because Malawi Airlines has been the sole operator on the Lilongwe/Blantyre Johannesburg route.
“The airline hopes that the bigger aircraft will alleviate the problem of space and they will therefore be able to serve their customers better,” he said.
He further said that there are also prospects that South African Airways will resume operations to Malawi within this month of December which will ease travel even further for the public.
Malawi Airlines Limited is the national flag carrier of Malawi and is a registered partnership company with shareholding between Malawi Government (51%) and Ethiopian Airlines (49%).
